The Things We Do
by thequeenofthedead
Summary: Severus returns from a death eater meeting and runs into Minerva. Pastfic.


Severus stumbled from his fireplace into the stone haven of his office at Hogwarts. He was absolutely exhausted, but, after examining the cut on his upper right arm and noticing the putrid green liquid that seemed to be gathering inside the wound, he decided that a trip to see Madame Pomfrey was necessary. Sighing deeply and casting his shadowy death eater's mask across the room, he left his office and started slowly down the hallway.

The corridors were empty due to the extreme hour of night, and the only noise Severus heard as he proceeded to leave the dungeons was Peeves knocking around near a flight of stairs, which the potions master easily avoided. However, as he mounted the stairs in the entrance hall, he looked down the corridor that would lead him to the hospital wing and noticed Minerva McGonagall striding toward him. He attempted to duck quickly behind a tapestry until she passed, but his luck was not with them that night, nor his speed, so he was spotted by the woman and she hurried toward him.

For the second time that night, Severus let out a sigh of utter frustration. He followed the exhalation of breath with a few muttered curses at life in general. Minerva had already noted his scowl, but she was never one to be discouraged by something as trivial as Snape's ordinary demeanor. When she spoke, her voice was sharp and urgent.

"Are you going to see Albus?" she questioned, "Did something happen?"

Severus met her expectant gaze with his own heavy-lidded glare, and replied acidly, "If you insist on knowing, Minerva, something did happen. However, it does not concern either Albus or you, so I suggest that you continue on your way and press me incessantly for details after I have gotten some sleep and am less likely to hex you."

Minerva simply met his verbal jab with a exceptionally severe gaze. Severus stood staring back at her, waiting for her to either say something or leave, as he was not inclined to make the first move, or move at all, at the moment. Their stare-down was only broken when Severus's wound suddenly stung violently and his eyes flew to it, his breath catching in his throat.

"Severus, goodness, what happened to you?" Minerva asked, her voice already high pitched and worried, a tone that added to the splitting headache that Severus was developing.

"Nothing, you insufferable woman," Snape bit off, "Now, if you would kindly excuse me, I'd like to have Poppy look at this, make sure I'm not going to develop spots or something of the sort."

"Who did this?" she asked, her voice now low and growing angry. Severus couldn't tell if it was frustration at him or indignation at the person who had wounded him. He found that he didn't care much, he just wanted the throbbing in his head and arm to stop.

"That is none of your business, Minerva. I think we've covered this topic alrea-" before Severus could finish his comment, he felt his head grow very light, and then he slipped into a blissful sleep.

"Bloody hell!" Severus yelled as he snapped abruptly back into consciousness. He looked around and found himself in the hospital wing.

"Would you please be quiet?" Minerva said impatiently. She was sitting in a chair next to his bed. "You'll wake the students who are staying here."

Severus could not believe that even in passing out he had not been able to rid himself of the woman. He attempted to push himself up into a sitting position, but white-hot pain shot through his left arm and he nearly cried out again.

"What are you doing?" she asked him, as if he were making the most obvious mistake in the world, "Do you want to ruin your healing process completely?"

"Healing process?" Severus said, bewildered, "How long was I unconscious?"

"Three full hours, I'd say," Minerva commented, pulling a watch from inside her robes, "Though, truthfully, I'm surprised you didn't go on sleeping longer. Poppy said that she was giving you a very powerful sedative."

Severus raised an eyebrow, but didn't respond immediately. After a few moments, he came to a startling realization and asked, "Why did you stay?"

He could tell simply by the look on Minerva's face that she was not at all prepared for his question. She cleared her throat multiple times, pushed back a few stray hairs that were daring to escape from her impossibly tight up-do, and then replied in a tone of broken nonchalance, "I wanted to confirm whether or not you'd be able to teach today. Poppy said she'd decided once you woke up. I'll go get her, then." She rushed off toward Madame Pomfrey's office.

The potions master decided not to mention that she could have just come back in the morning to acquire the answer to her question, but only because he was in no mood to her more of her pathetic comebacks.

A few moments later, Minerva emerged with Madame Pomfrey in tow. Pomfrey immediately began her usual hustling and bustling around Severus's bed. After a few seconds, she looked up at Minerva.

"He'll have to stay. At least for today, that is."

Minerva nodded, but Severus let out a grunt of indignation.

"Just do what she says, Severus," she said, narrowing her eyes at him, "I'll get someone to cover your lessons today." She looked out the window and saw that the sun was causing a pink and yellow tinge on the horizon.

"Well, I'll be going then," she said. She started toward the door, then turned back, "Severus, do be more careful next time. I can't be trusted to be around to levitate you to the hospital wing every night." And with a slight triumphant smile, she exited.


End file.
